Bottle-capping implement



C. A. BUNKER.

BOTTLE CAPPING IMPLEMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I, 1920.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

CHARLES A. BUNKER, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

BOTTLE-GAPPING IMPLEMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 21 1920.

Application filed June 1, 1920. Serial No. 885,587.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. BUNKER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica residing at Kansas City. in the county 0 Jackson and State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBottle-Capping Implements; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

The invention is particularly designed to automatically grasp the neckof the bottle while thecap is being applied, thereby facilitating thebottle capping operation, and at the same time enabling the applicationof the cap and the sealing of the neck of the bottle, and the securingof the cap to the neck of the bottle, to be made with uniformefficiency.

The invention also embodies,

First, a coaction of the bottle grasping means with cap aiiixing means,whereby the cap is secured to the neck of the bottle without torsion,and,

Second, wherein the cap is held in position previous to its beingfastened to the neck of the bottle, and

Third, to effect the disengagement of the bottle capping devices fromthe cap, and at the same time depress the center of the cap so as toforce the packing into the neck of the bottle.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination ofparts such as will be first fully described, and then specificallypointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, I

Figure 1 is an isometric view of the novel capping implement showing thelever arms in an elevated position, and the jaws of the device in anopen position in readiness to grasp the neck of the bottle, a portion ofthe cap afiixing body being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device as seen in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3, is a view of the invention looking upwardly from beneath thebottle capping bodythe lever arms being in the same position as in Fig.1.

Fig. 4, is a View in elevation partly in section showing the ban leversin a downward horizontal position and the jaws grasping' the neck of thebottle and the position of the cap disengaging plunger, while the cap isbeing secured to the neck of the bottle.

Fig. 5 is an isometric view enlarged. of the hollow cap aflixing body ofthe bottle capping implement, showing the cap holding flanges the outerend portions of the arms being broken away.

. Fig. 6, is a detail view of one of the jaws and its supporting bar,showing the slot for the pivots on the inner ends of the lever arms.

Fig. 7, is a view of a cap for the bottle, broken away to show thepacking.

Fig. 8, is a sectional view of the neck of the bottle, showing the capsecured thereto and the position of the packing relative to the ppeningin the neck.

Slmilar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

The body of the implement consists of a circular casting 10, havin anupwardly cone shaped extension 11. Vi ithin the body 10, is a circularopening or depression 12, slightly larger in circumference than the neckof the bottle to be capped, and of a. depth sufficient to receive aportion of the end of the bottle above the neck, the terminus of saidopening being curved or arched upwardly in a slight degree as at 13.

Through the cone-shaped portion 11, of the body 10 of the implement,extends an opening 14:, which leads within the opening 12 of said bodyportion, and is co-axial with the inner circumference of said opening.

With the body portion 10 of the implement,

and connected integrally with one side, are the inner ends of separatearms 15--15 spaced a short distance apart, the outer ends of which armsextend outwardly a short distance and are extended downwardly in acurved line to a position a short distance below a line extendinghorizontally with the lower surface of the body portion 10, and in saidends of the arms are perforations 15. Similar arms 16--16' are connectedintegrally with the body 10 of the implement ;upon its other or opposingside, which are spaced apart, and are in line with the arms 1 515 andare precisely the same. The arms 16, 16', are provided with perforations16. r

In the opening 14 in the cone-shaped upward extension of body 10, is aslidaole rod 10 I or PIunger I I- the forward andrear surfaces of theupper end of said rod being out away at 17 18 and 19 indicate thegrasping jaws for grasping the neck of the bottle. hese aws consist ofop ositely positioned blocks of considerable t ickness to afiordthenecessary rigidity and having their inner surfaces curved in the arcof tively 1 d outer surfaces of the blocks to orm lever a circle, as at18 19 respective y.

These blocks are integrally connected with the inner portions ofseparate inwardly and outwardly movable flat bars and 21 respecrom theexten ing short distances outwardl bearings, as further described.- Thelower ends I of these bars withthe jaws 18 and 19in their open position,asseen 1n Fig. 1, are in a position below the body 10 to enable the jawsto rasp the neck of the bottle.

aws 18 and 19, the bars 20 and '21 extend rear flat surfaces of theupper end of the plunger 17.

Upon the opposite surfaces of the lower portions of the combined jaw andplunger operating bars 20 and 21, are cast the fiat rpltites 20 21",.These plates extend upwardly from the lines of the outer portions of thejaws 20 and 21, as shown in vertical lines, nearly to the bending pointsv20 21 of said bars, and'act as frictional guides to the bars 20 and 21upon the inner surfaces of the arms 15.15', 16 and .16, the outer edgesof said plates at their lower ends serving as bearings for cam shapedends of the operating levers 22 and 23.

These levers 22and 23, are each formed from a single fiat longitudinalbar of suitable material, preferably steel, bent between its ends toform anouter curved portion or loop 22*23" parallel portions of whichlevers extend outwardly a considerable distance, their inner ends beingoutwardly curved at 24:. to form cams In the lower outer portions of thebars 20 and 21, and a short distance upwardly from their lower surfaces,(see Fi 6) are formed the horizontal slots 25. he said inner ends of thelever arms 22 and 23 are extended within the respective arms 15-15,

1616, and in frictional contact with the outer surfaces of the plates 2021 and are these bars having their outer ortions From the secured to theends of arms 1515 bythe pivots 15* 16 respectively, lhe forward ends ofthe lever arms 22 and 23 extend past the pivots 15"-16" to effect aninward movement of the bars 20 and 21, and throu h the "upper portionsof said ends extend t e pivots 24, 24, which pivots also extend throughthe slots 25 in the respective bars 20 and 21, and which act to raiseandlower and open the jaws 18 and 19 of the im-v plement. v p

In a downward movement of the lever arms to the position seen in Fig. 4,the cams I 24 on the lever arms act to close the jaws and holdthemclosed. U on the lower outer edge portion of the b0 y 10, are the cap Iholding flanges 26, which are short in length and {grooved at 26 .ontheir inner surfaces.

The bottle sealing ca 27 as seen in Fig. 7, consists of a metal diskhaving a downwardly extended outwardly inclined crim ed annular flange27'. Upon the inner sur' ace of the disk, is a packing 28, composedusually of cork, but other substances may be employed. 29 indicates theupper portion or neck of a bottle, and 30 the groove at the upper endwhich receives the crimped flange 27 of the-cap, the depression beingseen at 31 in the cap. 9

In operation, the lever arms 22 and 23 are first raised in a verticalposition, as seen in Fig. 1, in which position of said arms, the neckgrasping jaws 18 and 19 are in an outward position, the pivots 2424' inthe outer ends of lever arms 22 and 23 being at the outer ends of theslots 25 in the bars 2021, the plunger 17 being in a downward position,as seen in Fig. 1, within the opening14, in the neck 11 of the body 10of the implement, its lower end extending a considerable distance withinthe opening 12 for the upper end of the bottle.

In this osition of the operative arts of the inventlon', the bottlebeing uprig t upon the table, one of the sealing caps described isinserted within the groove 26 of the flange 26, and the lever arms beinggrasped by the hands and the'body 10 raised so that cap 27, which isheld by the implement, is placed on the open end of the bottle. Thelever arms 22 and 23 are then moved downwardly by the hands until thejaws 18 and 19, which move inwardly by the contact of the .upper portionof the curved ends or cams in contact with the outer edges of the plates20 21*, grasp the neckof the bottle, in which movement the plunger 17moves upwardly and also the jaws 18 and 19, automatically forcing theupper end of the bottle with its cap 27 within the opening 12 in thebody 10 of the implement, to a position near the arched inner end 13 ofsaid opening, thereby forcing the outwardly inclined crimped flange 27of the cap inwardly Withln the groove 30, in the neck of the bottle. Thelever arms are now in a position, in their downward-movement, at anangle to the jaws, as seen in Fig. 4. The cap now being secured to theend of the bottle, the lever arms 20 and 21 are raised in position, thejaws still grasping the neck of the bottle, but moving downwardly so asto move the plunger 17 downwardly, its inner end being brought forciblyinto contact with the cap-27, depressing the disk of the cap and forcingthe packing 28 into the opening in the neck of the bottle, as seen inFig. 8, at the same time forcing the cap and bottle back out of thehollow body 10 of the implement thus effecting a complete sealing of thebottle, this being uniform in all bottles sealed by the implement. Thelever arms being now raised into the vertical position, as seen in Fig.1, the plunger continuing to act upon the cap and raising the body 10 ofthe implement above the neck of the bottle while at the same timereleasing the jaws 18 and 19, from the neck, completing the capping ofthe bottle.

The invention permits the capping of bottles to be made with rapidityand-efiiciency, thus economizing the time usually re uired in theoperation.

uch modificatlons may be employed as are within the scope of theappended claims.

Having fully described my invention, what I new claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is,

1. In combination, 'a movable hollow bottle capping body for receivingand securing a cap to a bottle, pivoted levers actuating the said bodyto alfix a cap to a'bottle,

grasping jaws controlled by the pivoted levers, and cap releasing meansacting reciprocally upon a cap during releasing of the grasp of thebottle grasping j LWS.'

2. In combination, a hollow bottle capping body, operating leverspivoted to said body, bottlegrasping jaws, and arms supporting saidjaws, and controlled by said operating levers to impart a rising andfalling action to said'arms and the grasp and release of said jaws on abottle, and cap releasing means pivoted to said arms acting reciprocallyupon a cap ,to'release the capping body from the cap during the releaseof the bottle grasping jaws.

3. In combination, a hollow bottle capping body, arms extendingoutwardly from said body, operating levers pivoted to said arms, a capreleasing plunger, and means actuated by the said levers co-acting toimpart reciprocation to said plunger.

4. In combination, a hollow bottle capping body, arms extendingoutwardly from bent upper ends pivoted to the upper end of said plunger,operating levers pivoted to said outwardly extended arms on said bottlecapping body, bottle grasping jaws on the lever ends of said uprightbars, operatable means on the inner ends of said levers and. said barsacting to raise and lower, and communicate an inward reciprocal graspingand releasing action to'said j aws.

6. An implement for capping bottles, comprising a hollow body forreceiving and securing a cap to a bottle, said body having a verticalopening extending within said hollow body, a plunger therein, outwardlyextended downwardly bent arms on opposing sides of said body spacedapart, outwardly and inwardly movable vertical bars having inwardly bentupper ends pivoted to the upper end of said plunger and provided withslots at their lower ends, bottle graspingjaws on the lower ends of saidbars, bar operating lever arms pivoted to the body supporting arms, andpivots securing the inner ends of the lever arms to the arms on saidbody and extending through said slots in said vertical bars.

7. An implement for capping bottles, comprising a hollow body forreceiving an securing a cap to a bottle, said body having a verticalopening extending within sald hollow body, a plunger therein, outwardlyextended downwardly bent arms on opposing sides of said body spacedapart, outwardly and inwardly movable vertical bars having inwardly bentupper ends pivoted to the upper end of said plunger and provided withhorizontal slots at their lowemends,

bottle grasping jaws on the lower ends o f CHARLES A. BUNKER.

